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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25678471">Alpha-Brain</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyThursday/pseuds/LonelyThursday'>LonelyThursday</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Race, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Canon Era, Fluff, Getting Together, He just wants Alberts attention, M/M, Omega Albert, Race is in rut, but its not sexual</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:28:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,344</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25678471</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyThursday/pseuds/LonelyThursday</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Race is needy, Albert's trying to work</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Albert DaSilva/Racetrack Higgins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Alpha-Brain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>my brain: ABO newsies<br/>me: and?<br/>my brain: fluff<br/>me: kk</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Stop it.”</p>
<p>“I ain’t doin’ nothin’.”</p>
<p>… </p>
<p>“Stop it!”</p>
<p>“I ain’t <em>doin’ </em>nothin’!”</p>
<p>… </p>
<p><em>“Jesus Christ!”</em> Albert finally snaps. He stuffs the pape he was trying to sell back into his bag, grabs Race’s shirt collar, and drags him into the nearest alley. </p>
<p>“I weren’t even doin’ nothin’!” Race yells once they’re in a semi private area. </p>
<p>“You’se growlin’ at everyone that comes within five feet a me!” Albert yells back. “I can’t sell papes wit’ you scarin’ all the customers!”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t growlin’!”</p>
<p>“Ya was too! Now can ya jus’ scent me or whatever ya need ta do so’s I can go back ta sellin’ papes wit’out ya scarin’ everyone off!”</p>
<p>Race keeps glaring, but he doesn’t argue, and instead all but jumps at the offer to rub his scent all over Albert. He buries his head in Alberts hair and rubs the scent glands on his wrists over every part of Albert he can reach.</p>
<p>Every morning, before heading to the circulation gate, Jack rubs his scent on every kid in the lodge. For the Littles and kids who haven’t presented yet, he does it to keep shadier folks from thinking they’re orphans and snatching them up. For Omegas, he does it to keep creeps and pedophiles away. And for the Betas and Alphas, he does it to establish family. It’s something Blue had done before she left. Mark the kids so everyone knows that ‘<em>Hey! They’re part of a pack! Leave ‘em alone because there is someone who will come after you if you mess with them.’</em></p>
<p>Normally, Race isn’t bothered by Albert smelling like Jack. In fact, Race normally doesn’t even insist on selling with Albert, usually choosing to head over to Sheepshead alone instead. He must be in rut. When Alphas at the lodge are in rut it usually just means that they’re extra territorial. </p>
<p>Lucky, who’s mom had been a nurse, once said that she figured none of the newsies ever had a true heat or rut was because they weren’t eating well enough. That their bodies couldn’t support a week of mindless lust four times a year, so it gave them mini versions instead. These mini heats and ruts are mostly just slightly elevated hormone levels for a few days every few months. </p>
<p>Honestly, Albert’s always seen it as an upside of being dirt poor and starving. Instead of losing his mind for a week, he just gets a stronger scent, and a spike of joy from his stupid Omega-brain every time Race so much as <em>looks</em> at him. </p>
<p>For Race and his ruts, it meant an elevated sense of smell and possessiveness of anything that his Alpha-brain deemed to be <em>his.</em> Including Albert. </p>
<p>“Hmm, mine,” Race sighs against Albert’s hair, probably involuntarily. </p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Albert grouses. His annoyance is just a facade though; his stupid Omega-brain loves possessive Race. “Can we go back ta sellin’ now?”</p>
<p>“Hmm,” Race hums like he’s thinking before ducking down to lick a strip up Albert’s cheek. “Okay!”</p>
<p>“Ugh!” Albert continues to wipe at his cheek until long after it’s dry. Most likely, all he’s doing is rubbing Race’s scent into his face, but he doesn’t really have a problem with it either way. </p>
<p>They’re able to sell for the rest of the day with only minor interruptions every hour or so as Race has to reestablish his scent mark on Albert. He still won’t let any Alphas get near enough for Albert to sell them a paper, but he allows Betas and Omegas through easily enough. The Alphas all have to buy their papes from Race, but Albert’s pretty sure that Race being in rut makes both Alphas and Omegas more likely to overpay for their papes, so it works out well enough. </p>
<p>The Alphas overpay because they, at least on a subconscious level, see Race as a young Alpha trying to look after his mate (Albert), which makes them respect him more. Omegas overpay because Race’s overactive hormones make him more attractive to them. Albert isn’t really fond of either reason, but he <em>is</em> fond of extra money. Albert himself tends to get similar treatment when he’s in heat, except that the Alphas who find him more attractive tend to try to ‘woo’ him (which mostly just means that they stand too close for too long and make lewd remarks), and the Omegas pay more because they feel bad for him. So really, there’s no winning there either, and a little extra cash seems like poor compensation for all the harassment. </p>
<p>Jack doesn’t let Omegas in heat sell by themselves, they always have to have an Alpha with them. There are horror stories from way back before Jack was leader about Omegas that went out selling while in heat and never came back. Albert always takes Race with him when he’s in heat, or if heat hits him in the middle of the day, he finds whichever Alpha is closest (usually Finch or Jack), but Race seems to have an innate sense of when Albert is going to go into heat even though they aren’t predictable, and usually ends up selling with him on those days anyway. Romeo takes Specs with him, Kid Blink takes Mush (which makes sense since they’re mated), Crutchie usually takes Jack, but sometimes he takes Finch, and Elmer usually latches onto whichever Alpha he sees first in the morning, even if that Alpha is already selling with another Omega. </p>
<p>Sometimes Albert wishes he was a Beta instead. Tommy Boy isn’t a slave to hormones, Buttons doesn’t need anyone to go selling with her, Henry doesn’t have creeps trying to rub their scent on him all the time. But then Race will do something stupid like smile at him and his Omega-brain will give him a shot of pure serotonin that he’s sure can’t be replicated by anything else, and all complaints fly out the window. </p>
<p>Once they’re done selling, Race tries to drag Albert straight into the nearest alley where Albert’s sure that Race will be content to drown himself in Albert’s scent for the rest of the day. But Albert’s hungry, and he'd rather not sleep in an alley when they’re perfectly capable of getting back to the lodge, so he uses Race’s overactive protective and possessive instincts to manipulate him into buying a sandwich for them to split from Jacobi’s, and going back to the lodge. </p>
<p>“Hey, Albie?” Race says, hours later after they’ve been silently laying on Race’s bunk for a while, the sandwich long gone. </p>
<p>“Yeah?” Albert responds, he’s been beginning to drift, but Race’s voice brought him back to full consciousness. </p>
<p>“Would you be mad if I bit you?” Albert stiffens. Race’s face is pressed against the scent glands on Albert’s neck, all he’d need to do is open his mouth and bite down, and then he’d be stuck with Albert for the rest of his life. </p>
<p>“I don’t think you’d want to do that,” he says, surprised that his voice came out evenly. </p>
<p>“But would you be mad?”</p>
<p>“...no.” It’s the truth. Albert wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his life with Race, but he doubts the Alpha feels the same. </p>
<p>Race hums in acknowledgement, but he doesn’t bite. Instead, he just licks at Albert’s scent gland, making the redhead scrunch his nose in mild disgust. </p>
<p>“And in a week, when I’m not in rut anymore? Would you be mad then?”</p>
<p>“No,” Albert answers more confidently this time. </p>
<p>“‘M gonna bite you next week,” Race mumbles, sleep taking over. </p>
<p>“Okay,” Albert whispers, mostly because he doesn’t think Race will remember this conversation come morning. </p>
<p>Race falls asleep. Albert lays awake for hours, thinking about the implications of what Race said. Other Newsies fill the room and head for their own beds, and Albert’s still awake when one by one they all fall asleep. </p>
<p>The rest of his life with Race. He’s sure it’s just Race’s rut talking, but still, it’s a nice thought. </p>
<p>Albert finally drifts off an hour before the morning bell rings, a smile on his face. </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*shrugs* I dunno, just take it</p>
<p>Stay Safe<br/>wear a mask<br/>Take care of your mental health<br/>remember to vote<br/>make sure you know how to vote in your area<br/>you're doing so well<br/>I'm so proud of you</p></blockquote></div></div>
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